Wand

Silas returned to his private "practice classroom" on the Seventh Floor of Hogwarts Castle, eager to test the power of his new wand. He stroked the warm acacia wood wand, feeling the energy fluctuations within it that shared the same origin as his own, his heart filled with anticipation.

"All right, let's see whether using a wand to guide it takes less effort or makes it more powerful."

Facing a brand-new straw dummy once more, he took a deep breath and thrust his wand forward like a fencer, shouting, "Claws of Denak!"

Whoosh—!

A solid golden orb the size of a fist shot from the tip of the wand at considerable speed, striking the dummy squarely in the chest!

Boom!

The dummy fell at once, a deep, charred hole blasted through its chest. The power was indeed impressive.

Yet Silas frowned slightly at the result. Stroking his chin, he analyzed it aloud. "Hmm... compared to casting it directly without a wand, the power doesn't seem... all that different? The energy consumption is about the same too. And..."

He compared the feel of it just now. "Firing it through a wand seems to lose some of that effortless fluidity. Having to channel and shape the energy through this 'medium' actually makes the attack around a few hundredths of a second slower? Most importantly, the pose isn't even as cool as making a light blast with my bare hands!"

Out of habit, he flicked his hand, and a Denak light blast of the same size instantly formed and shot out. It traced a more nimble arc and knocked another dummy to the ground.

[...] The system seemed momentarily choked by his bizarre train of thought before speaking helplessly. [Bro... wands are mainly for casting the standard magic system of this world! Like the spells Hogwarts is going to teach you! Who told you to use one as an amplifier for mystic energy? It already shares the same origin as the Vishanti Energy in your body, so being able to channel it smoothly is good enough. Did you expect it to give you some insane multiplier?]

Silas blinked, suddenly enlightened. "Right! I nearly forgot about that!"

He immediately grew interested and wanted to test what a wand could do for conventional magic. Raising it, he clearly pronounced the incantation, "Lumos!"

At the same time, he snapped the fingers of his other hand and used his thoughts to guide mystic energy.

The next moment, something interesting happened—

The tip of the wand in his right hand suddenly erupted with an incredibly dazzling sphere of light, like a miniature sun. It lit the entire dim classroom as brightly as day, practically like a flashbang! The light was stable and intense, a completely textbook-perfect Lumos.

Meanwhile, his left palm emitted a circle of soft, steady white light, though it was noticeably dimmer. It was like a fairly powerful outdoor flashlight—bright enough, but utterly plain compared to the "miniature sun" at the tip of his wand.

"Whoa! The difference is that obvious?" Silas compared the light in his two hands with great interest. "Looks like wands really are standard equipment in the Harry Potter system. Without one, many spells either become far weaker or can't be cast at all."

He tried several more simple spells, such as Wingardium Leviosa, which made a quill float. Guided by his wand, the quill rose lightly into the air; when he tried it barehanded, the quill merely trembled, at most lifting a few inches off the table before falling back down.

"Got it." Silas reached his conclusion and casually dispelled the magic. "I'll use my own mystic arts when fighting, and use this wand for classes and homework. Nice. Clear division of labor."

He spun the new wand deftly around his fingers before putting it away with satisfaction. To him, this wand was more like a "pass" into Hogwarts' magical society and a "homework tool." His true power still came from himself and that ever-growing skill tree. He felt entirely capable of handling this kind of "dual-system" operation.

One evening a few days later, Silas was summoned to the Headmaster's Office. Dumbledore sat behind his desk, sampling a plate of Sherbet Lemons, while Fawkes dozed on his perch.

"Ah, Silas, you're here." Dumbledore smiled and gestured for him to sit. "There's something I'd like to discuss with you. Regarding the start of term tomorrow... I think you could travel to school with the first-year students aboard the Hogwarts Express."

Silas had just picked up one of the sweets Dumbledore had pushed toward him when he heard that. His hand froze. An absurd expression that clearly said, You can't possibly be serious, appeared on his face.

"Headmaster," Silas said, setting the sweet down, his tone full of bewilderment, "what am I supposed to do on that clattering, slow-as-molasses train? Admire the scenery of the Scottish Highlands along the way? With that time, I could open a portal and get there in one second, then sleep in a little longer."

He truly could not understand the sense of ceremony behind such a "waste of time." In his view, efficiency came first. Having convenient magic available yet choosing to cram onto a train was simply asking for trouble.

Dumbledore's bright blue eyes gleamed with gentle wisdom behind his half-moon spectacles. He shook his head lightly. "My boy, starting school is not merely a matter of arriving at the school itself. It is also a process, a memory worth cherishing. Taking the Express, passing through the fields, meeting the companions who will study alongside you for seven years, watching the familiar city fade away while the castle gradually grows in your sight... this process of anticipation is itself part of learning magic."

A hint of nostalgia entered his voice. "I will never forget the day I formally began school—the smell of snacks and coal smoke mingling in the compartment, the scenery racing past outside the window. And," he said with a smile, the corners of his eyes crinkling, "it was on that train that I met my lifelong friend, Mr. Eliphas Doge. A great friendship often begins with a chance journey together."

Seeing the sincere, beautiful memory on Dumbledore's face, Silas swallowed the complaint that had reached his lips. He understood Dumbledore's meaning. The old wizard hoped he could experience a "normal" beginning to school, fit in with the group, rather than always remain an unconventional "outsider."

He sighed. Though he found it a little troublesome, he still had to give the old headmaster some face. Besides, thinking about it carefully, perhaps... he might really encounter something interesting on the train? For example, seeing firsthand the first meeting between The Boy Who Lived and his red-haired friend?

"All right, all right." Silas raised both hands in surrender. "You're right. The process matters. I'll be at King's Cross Station on time tomorrow morning and go through that... magical platform."

Dumbledore nodded in satisfaction and handed him another Sherbet Lemon. "Very good. I believe it will be an interesting journey. The sweets are quite good. Why not try one?"

Silas accepted the sweet, already considering whether he should bring Advanced Potion-Making to pass the time on the train tomorrow, or simply sleep the whole way. As for making friends? He would let fate decide. In any case, he did not have high expectations. Still, since he had agreed, he might as well experience this so-called "tradition."